Don't try to reach my shoulders by climbing knives.

I am sick of people posting self-affirming things on social media to vindicate their own opinion, and then telling those who reply (even when in agreement with the main message of the post) to calm down, to "breathe," and that they are "reading too much into the photo."

Reading too much into a photo? People write entire theses into pictures and photos. Images are rich with thought - why should we deride those with the education, ability, and willingness to respond in writing just because you can't be arsed to post anything more than someone else's opinion on a image with some text? Telling someone they are reading too much into something is like telling an ant the puddle isn't "really very deep at all". It's a matter of perspective.

What response do you want? Just the usual: "Yeh, you are soooo right for posting this" kind of dog-tail flapping to pump your own self-righteous ego? Are you so shallow to need your own ego-boosting that much that anyone responding with intelligence or cogent argument threatens you?

Well in that case, I say a resounding: "fuck off." Oh, you come to me when you need something writing to serve yourself: when you want a powerful blog written; or you want a sensitive poem written; a moving play; a funny, silly rhyme; a strongly worded letter, and so on. Come to me if you want your writing checked for grammar, spelling or content. Come to me if you want to use my ideas to bounce your own off: when you want to use my "devil's advocate" that has been trained for well over fifteen years.

Use and abuse my time as a writer as you would ask a musician to play in a cafe: not for pay, of course, but "the exposure". Or as you might want a photographer to shoot your wedding: not for pay, of course, but for the experience. Or you might want a painter to try and capture you God-given aura in a portrait master-piece: not for pay, of course, but for the privilege of having you sit for him.

But don't then patronise me when you see fit because you have your own inflated sense of self-worth and are fully prepared to use my time and ability when it suits you, but otherwise extend no further arm or branch of collaboration or interaction forthcoming from you. And certainly don't attempt to "bring you down a peg" just because I responded more intelligently to a post you did nothing more than share like a social media sheep.

I don't know everything. I don't claim to know everything. In fact, I am the exact opposite because I love to learn. When I know something I want to know it well, and because I seek to do that, I choose to take that step beyond ignorance. I make no apology for that, and I shall not lower my own bar just to satisfy other people's inability to express their own. That is what I used to do in teaching every day: but only because I had (and still have) a great passion for want to help people learn. I always told my pupils to never expect me to lower my own bar of expectation because if I ever did that they would not be getting the best out of me as their teacher, and that is what they deserved. They were told that it mattered nothing to me if they couldn't reach my bar yet because how could they (in my subjects at least)? It was my job to help them leap over and over again to reach that bar (and beyond); to be better than me; to go further than I ever did. That is when I told them: you are welcome to stand on my shoulders to reach the high expectations I set for myself, but never expect to get there by climbing up knives you have stabbed in my back.

Children. That is what I taught the children I spent a past career teaching. And that is why I was so good at it - because they knew I had their backs; and didn't care when they got things wrong; would make them add the word "yet" to every time they said "I can 't do it..." I rarely had any issue with discipline in my classrooms - I am pretty sure my philosophy, and patience, and my perseverance (all dusted with a lot of humour) was a major part of that. But adults? I have no patience for ignorance. I have no tolerance for those who try to "bring me down a peg or to." And I have no time liars and cheats.

So don't try to use my ability and passion when it suits you and then try and use it against me when it doesn't. That makes you a cheat. Like it and share it; lump it and ignore it; or just...quite frankly... fuck off.

#Writing #editing #teaching #Learning